Trump loves to be involved in money scandals! A far-right Internet celebrity received 160,000 yuan for a political post, which may lead to a murky area of ​​​​laws.

The Washington Post exclusively reported that Laura Loomer, an American far-right internet celebrity and activist, was exposed by multiple insiders that she has long been paid by private clients to post political posts on social platforms and has never publicly disclosed these payments. This incident highlights the "influence monetization" business model behind one of the most influential online provocateurs in the Trump administration.

This accusation was jointly made by Alex Bruesewitz, an adviser to the 2024 Trump campaign, and three other anonymous individuals. Two of them admitted to paying Loomer directly to post political messages on the social platform Bank transaction records reviewed by China Post show that since May last year, four payments totaling more than US$60,000 (approximately NT$1.97 million) were remitted to Loomer and the company "King Breaker Media" registered in her name in Florida.

Two people familiar with the matter revealed that Loomer’s tweet charges range from approximately US$3,000 to US$5,000 (approximately NT$98,000 to NT$164,000), and sometimes even higher. Those who have paid Loomer pointed out that although she is sometimes unpredictable, she is indeed an "effective messenger" and is a key channel for trying to get the message "directly to heaven" to Trump.

Loomer, one of Trump's most prominent online followers, has strongly denied accusations of being paid to tweet. She claims to be a journalist and public affairs activist, refuting the idea that she is an "Internet celebrity who is paid to promote a specific political cause." Loomer explained that Brusewitz did pay her to produce a research paper last year, and she later disseminated the information. "I never charged $5,000 for a tweet." "In the United States, it is not illegal to make a living on your own merits."

About an hour after China Post discussed the matter with Loomer, she suddenly announced on X that she would suspend her online show "Loomer Unleashed" on the grounds that she was pursuing a "healthy life balance" and preparing for her upcoming wedding. Loomer insisted that the announcement had been planned.

Loomer, 33, traveled with Trump during his second term and met privately in the Oval Office. Although the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) requires bloggers and influencers to disclose when they accept paid endorsements of products, the agency does not have jurisdiction over "political advertising," allowing political influencers from both the Democratic and Republican parties to operate in a legal gray area between advocacy and advertising.

Jared Holt, a senior researcher at Open Measures who specializes in tracking online extremism and disinformation, pointed out that Loomer is a person with great influence and direct access to the president. However, the general lack of transparency among political influencers will further weaken public confidence in the authenticity of online information.

A source who commissioned Loomer's post described her as a "nuclear bomb": "It's effective, but it can mess up a lot of things if you're not careful."

Loomer took it as a compliment: "I'm glad people think I'm effective and influential. I'll never apologize for playing off 'people's fears about me.'"

The White House currently refuses to comment on the incident.